


An Angel Gets Its Wings

by unculturedswine



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bobby Singer Deals With Idjits, Canon Universe, Castiel (Supernatural) Does Not Understand Humans, Christmas, M/M, Sam Winchester Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Season/Series 04, Season/Series 05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 10:02:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17159960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unculturedswine/pseuds/unculturedswine
Summary: It's Christmas. Cas has never celebrated so Sam and Dean take it upon themselves to show him all the family traditions they never had.





	An Angel Gets Its Wings

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this in 2010 and finally decided to finish it. It's not good enough to have taken me 8 years to write but here we are. Unbeta'd so I apologize in advance for any grammar/tense mistakes.
> 
> Since this was started so long ago, it takes place very early on in the introduction of Cas to the show (and I haven't even watched the show since season 6, so I have no clue what's currently going on). A lot of liberties are taken on Cas' knowledge of humans and Christmas (i.e. he has no clue what's going on but just goes along with it anyway).

It was Christmastime.

The brothers had just finished a job when the storm hit. They hobbled, bruised and wounded, back to the Impala at the first sign of snowfall. They made it back to the motel just in time to see the winds pick up to a hurricane-like force.

Now, they sat, watching It’s a Wonderful Life and occasionally looking at the flakes outside. Dean couldn’t remember the last time he had seen snow.

“Teacher says, “Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.”” Sam quoted with a laugh.

“That is false.” Dean heard Castiel say as he popped into view beside the television set.

“C’mon, Cas. Don’t ruin the movie.” Sam replied.

“I do not know which movie you speak of.” He told them.

“It’s a Wonderful Life.” Dean told him, “It’s about angels, Cas. I’m sure you’d enjoy it.”

Cas didn’t reply. Instead he starred at the rolling credits on the television screen.

“It’s a tradition to watch it during Christmas. I’m sure it’ll be on again.” Dean went on.

Cas looked at him. “A tradition?” 

“Yeah, you know, something you do each year.” Sam told him.

Castiel glowered. “I know what a tradition is. I just do not understand why watching a film is a tradition.”

“I don’t know, man. I guess it just gets people into the Christmas mood.” Dean told him.

“Yeah. It’s about hope and family and love.” Sam explained.

Cas looked puzzled for a moment. “Do you two have any Christmas traditions?”

Sam and Dean exchanged looks. “No, not really. We were on the road a lot during Christmastime. Either that, or Dad was away. We didn’t have time to make traditions.”

“Well, how do people normally celebrate Christmas?” Castiel asked.

“Um, well, they usually visit family, eat a homemade meal and give presents. Stuff like that.” Sam told him. “Why are you asking all about Christmas, anyways?”

“I’ve never celebrated Christmas.” Cas told them.

“You’re telling me that you guys don’t celebrate Jesus’ birthday in Heaven?” Dean questioned.

“Yes, that is what I’m saying. It would be wrong to celebrate one’s birthday when we don’t celebrate anyone else’s.” Cas said. “Also, we are not too sure if Jesus was actually born in December.”

“You don’t know when Jesus was born?”

“It was a very long time ago, Dean.”

“I can’t believe you forgot Jesus’ birthday. He is the son of God, isn’t he?”

“We are all God’s sons.”

“But wasn’t he special, or something?”

“Why are we talking about this?”

“You brought it up, Cas!”

“Well, I am bringing it down.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.…”

“Why not?”

“Because… it just doesn’t.”

The two eventually stopped arguing when Sam found another channel that was showing It’s A Wonderful Life. Castiel sat down beside Dean and watched it with them. He was happy to explain all the wrong facts about angels that popped up throughout the film. It really ruined the movie for both Dean and Sam, but Cas seemed to be having fun so they let him continue.

It was well past midnight when Cas finally left the motel. Dean and Sam clambered into their beds, not bothering to change.

“We should give Cas a real Christmas.” Sam told Dean just as he fell asleep.

****

When the brothers awoke the next morning, the snow had finally stopped falling. As they dressed, Sam brought up the idea of celebrating Christmas for Cas again, and after a lot of persuading Dean eventually gave in. The two knew that they couldn’t have a real Christmas in a hotel room, so they called up the only person they knew that had a big enough house. Bobby.

“You want to do what?”

“Have a ‘real’ Christmas for Cas.” Dean repeated.

“Whose idea was this?” Bobby asked.

“Sam’s.”

“Should have known.”

“So, is that a yes?” 

“I guess, but I’m not cooking.”

“Thanks, Bobby. We’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

Dean closed the phone and Sam beamed at him. Sam was probably more excited about this than Cas would be.

****

The trip from Grand Forks, North Dakota to Sioux Falls, South Dakota would usually be about a 5 hour trips. But with the snow-covered roads, it took a lot longer. They clambered into Bobby’s house, snowy and tired.

“Take your shoes off before you come into the damn house,” Bobby yelled from the living room. “You’ll get snow everywhere.”

The brothers huffed, kicking off their boots and dropping their duffle bags in the entranceway. “Nice to see you too,” Dean mumbled.

Bobby came to greet them, stepping over their bags, “Who raised you two? Wolves? Pick your damn bags up.”

Sam kicked his bag out of the way and embraced Bobby in a hug. “Missed you, Bobby.”

Bobby huffed and pulled back from Sam’s hug. “So what’s this about Christmas?”

“Cas hasn’t celebrated Christmas before and Sam, ever the sap, wanted to do something nice for him.” Dean explained.

“Shut up, Dean. I wasn’t the one planning everything we needed to do while driving here.” Sam said, smirking.

Dean said nothing, grabbed their bags, and began to move them upstairs.

Bobby shook his head, leading Sam back into the living room where a hockey game was playing on TV. “That boy is oblivious.”

Sam laughed. “Tell me about it. I have a plan, though.”

Before Sam could go into detail, Dean returned and plopped down onto the couch beside him.

“Tell me about this Christmas plan,” Bobby told him.

“Just normal Christmas stuff, “Dean said.

“Cas doesn’t eat so Christmas dinner is probably unnecessary but Dean mentioned getting a tree, decorating, watching Christmas movies, so on.” Sam expanded.

“You both do realize Christmas is in less than a week, right?” Bobby asked.

Dean shrugged. “And presents, obviously.”

“I better not be expected to buy you two idjits gifts.”

***  
The next few days were a flurry of activity.

Dean called on Cas to pick out a tree.

“I do not understand why we need to go cut down foliage”, Cas said as they trudged through the snow at the local tree farm.

“Tradition,” Dean huffed out.

“You said that you did not have traditions.”

“You can start traditions anytime you want.”

Cas didn’t say anything and continued to follow Dean along the narrow path between trees.

“Tell us when you see a tree you like,” Sam said from behind him.

Cas stopped and looked back at him. “But they are all the same.”

Dean sighed. “You’re trying to find the best looking tree. Not too tall and not too short, not sparse or with bald areas, but not super bushy.”

Cas nodded and mumbled, “The perfect tree…” 

He began to scrutinize each tree they passed until, finally, he stopped in front of one. “This is the perfect tree.”

And that was the tree they dragged back to the Impala and strapped to its roof and set up in Bobby’s living room.

-

Dean called on Cas to decorate said tree.

Bobby had brought down a box of old Christmas decorations that he had stashed in his attic. “I probably haven’t brought these out since Karen, but they should be good enough.”

How the Grinch Stole Christmas played in the background as Sam began stringing up the lights. Cas sat beside Dean watching the Grinch at the Whobilation.

“Are you guys going to help me with this,” Sam asked.

“I am curious to see how this green monster steals a holiday,” Cas answered.

Sam sighed. “C’mon, Cas, decorating the Christmas tree is another tradition.”

Cas looked over at Dean who shrugged. As soon as they got off the couch, Bobby switched the channel to another hockey game. Cas looked through the decoration box and took out a large angel tree-topper. He turned it over in his hands and examined it.

Dean laughed. “That goes on top of the tree.”

Cas raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“I think it’s just a way to celebrate the religious-side of Christmas,” Sam told him. “Usually it goes on last, though, so you can just leave it for now.”

Cas placed the angel gently back into the box and grabbed a large red bauble.

“Just place it on any branch of the tree, Cas” Dean told him. “Wherever you think looks nice.”

After all the decorations were put up, Dean goaded Cas into putting the angel on top of the tree. “It’s a special part of the decorating process. You should do it.”

-

Dean called on Cas to watch more Christmas movies.

“Have I not seen them all yet?” Cas asked.

Sam laughed. “There are a lot of Christmas movies. We just want to show you some of the good ones.”

Cas nodded and sat down beside Dean, who was pouring a generous shot of rum into his cup of eggnog. “Sam’s favourite is Charlie Brown Christmas, so he’ll make you watch that first.”

About half way through the movie, Cas smirked. “Dean, you are like Charlie Brown. Always so grumpy.”

“I am –” Dean started but is drowned out by Sam’s laughter.

“And Sam is like Linus. Always so optimistic.” Cas added.

“Plus, he has a blanket he takes everywhere.” Dean laughed.

Sam glared at him. “Shut up, asshole.”

After a debate whether Die Hard could be considered a Christmas movie, in which Dean won, and Sam begrudging put it on and a couple of more rum-eggnogs (now more rum than eggnog), they were on to the Love Actually variety of Christmas movies.

“Why does it have to be chick-flicks?” Dean whined, face red from alcohol.

“Season of love and all,” Sam told him. “Don’t you want Cas to get the full Christmas movie experience?”

Dean huffed and, loose from the alcohol, leaned towards Cas, spreading himself across the couch. “If you hate it, we can change it,” he whispered far too close to Cas’ ear.

Shortly into the movie, Dean nudged Cas, “You think there were lobsters at Jesus’ birth?”

“I do not know. I was not there.”

“You’re joking about this whole not knowing anything about Jesus, right? This is just some weird angel humour.”

Cas looked at him, head tilted, but said nothing.

-

And, finally, Dean called on Cas to open presents Christmas morning.

Bobby, Sam, and Dean sat around the Christmas tree as Cas popped into view.

“Merry Christmas, Cas” Sam said, handing a gift-wrapped box to him.

“I did not bring gifts,” Cas replied staring down at the gift in his hands.

“That’s –” Sam began but before he could finish there was a gust of wind and Cas was gone again.

Bobby looked between Sam and Dean, shrugged, and turned on the TV. A Christmas Story was on. 

Not long after, Cas reappeared. He handed Sam a very old looking book. Sam looked at it, puzzled, and began to flip through the pages.

“Wow, Cas, thank you. I haven’t heard some of these stories.”

He handed Bobby a new white and blue baseball cap. Bobby smiled, took off his old cap, and put on the new one.

Then he looked to Dean and handed him a whole pie. Dean laughed loudly as he grabbed the tin. “Thanks, man”.

Cas picked up his own present. “Dean picked it out,” Sam told him. He unwrapped the box and inside, on a bed of tissue paper, was an ornament. Cas picked it up and read, “My first Christmas, 2009, Castiel”.

He smiled at the brothers. “Thank you,” he whispered, earnestly. “This is the best Christmas I’ve experienced in my whole existence.”

“Gee, Cas.” Dean said, embarrassed.

They spent the morning together, lounging on the couch, sharing Dean’s pie, and watching more Christmas movies. Around noon, Dean’s stomach rumbled. 

“I’m going to make lunch. You guys want anything?” He asked.

Various mumbles of agreement came from Sam and Bobby. “Why don’t you help him, Cas?” Sam suggested.

They got up and headed towards the kitchen together. As they crossed the threshold, Sam yelled out. “Wait! Look up!”

They both stopped and stared at the doorway above them. 

“More foliage?” Castiel asked.

“Mistletoe, really?” Dean asked, looking at Sam.

Sam smiled slyly. “Don’t you want Cas to have the full Christmas experience?”

Dean sighed and looked at Castiel. “It’s tradition to kiss under mistletoe, Cas.”

“Oh,” Castiel said. “Okay.”

Dean leaned in and gently pressed his lips to Castiel’s. Before Dean could pull away, Cas stepped in closer. Dean happily responded, caressing Castiel’s lips with his own. When he pulled back, he smiled brightly. “Merry Christmas, Cas.”

In the distance, the church bells rang out.


End file.
